A fastening device for a roof rack to a motor vehicle and a roof rack comprising the fastening device

Abstract

 A fastening device (1) of a roof rack (100) to a motor vehicle (101), comprising anchoring means (20) predisposed for solidly associating the fastening device (1) to a motor vehicle (101) and connecting means (30) predisposed for associating the device to the roof rack (100). The fastening device (1) comprises a fixed element (2), solidly associable to the motor vehicle (101) via the anchoring means (20) and a mobile element (3) connected thereto, associable to the roof rack (100) via the connecting means (30); the mobile element (3) being able to modify a position thereof in relation to the fixed element (2) in order to configure the fastening device (1) by adapting the fastening device (1) to morphological and dimensional characteristics of the roof rack (100) and the motor vehicle (101) [Fig. 3].

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a fastening device for a roof rack to a motor vehicle and a roof rack comprising the fastening device. In particular the invention relates to the equipping of vans or other vehicles for commercial use.

[0002] Roof racks of various types, mounted on the roofs of motor vehicles of various nature, are normally used in the prior art. In particular, the equipping of commercial vehicles and vans usually requires the installation of an upper frame destined for location of material which is not housable in the loading compartment. The frames exhibit, in the simplest form thereof, two lateral support bars mounted longitudinally of the vehicle, connected to one another by two or more crossbars.

[0003] The described frames are fixed to the vehicles to be equipped by means of a plurality of connecting organs, in general four or six, of great constructional simplicity. The connecting organs are constituted by short lateral support arms, associable to the longitudinal bars or crossbars, bolted to the points of attachment exhibited on the upper surface of vans.

[0004] The connecting organs of the prior art are designed to adapt to a determined form and size of the vehicle to be equipped. They are thus dedicated to a determined vehicle or at most to a series of vehicles having similar structural characteristics. This specialisation of use exhibits an evident disadvantage in the connecting organs of the prior art and the roof racks using them.

[0005] Further, the single vehicles of a same vehicle model exhibit differences, though they fall within admitted tolerances, which make correct alignment of the roof rack frame bars difficult. This leads to the use, during mounting, of spacers and/or adapters of various types for fixing the fastening elements. This, apart from complicating the mounting operation, which can therefore take rather long times, does not enable a positioning guaranteeing a correct alignment of the bars of the roof racks such that the definitive and stable fixing of the bars of the roof rack inevitably produces deformations which induce undesired tensions in the attachment points.

[0006] The drawback which might result as a consequence, apart from deforming the bars and the frame (with the result that it does not allow some uses involving the use of slidable guides), is the breakage of the anchoring points, which is difficult to avoid in the applications of the prior art when the attachment points are located in the upper part of the vehicle's roof. This happens with modern vehicles, which are usually not provided with a gutter, which in the past was used for the hooking-on of the rack.

[0007] The main aim of the present invention is to provide a hooking device and a corresponding roof rack which do not suffer from the drawback in the prior art.

[0008] An advantage of the device of the present invention derives from its flexibility of use, which enables the use thereof on motor vehicles having different form and dimensional characteristics.

[0009] A further advantage of the device of the present invention is determined by the guaranteed stability of the connection between the motor vehicle and the roof rack frame.

[0010] A further advantage of the device of the present invention is the structural simplicity and the limited production costs thereof.

[0011] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will better emerge from the detailed description that follows of a non-exclusive preferred embodiment thereof, provided by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying figures of the drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a lateral view of a motor vehicle for transport to which is coupled a roof rack of the present invention;

figure 2 is a front view of the motor vehicle for transport of figure 1;

figure 3 is a perspective view of the hooking device according to the present invention;

figure 4 is an exploded view of the device of figure 3.

[0012] With reference to the figures of the drawings, 1 denotes a fastening device for a roof rack 100 to a motor vehicle 101. The roof rack 100 is preferably though not necessarily of the type illustrated in the figures, i.e. comprising two longitudinal support bars connected by a plurality of crossbars. The motor vehicle 101 is preferably a van having attachment points for fixing of fatening devices arranged on the upper surface of the roof.

[0013] The fastening device 1 comprises anchoring means 20 predisposed to associate the fastening device 1 solidly to a motor vehicle 101 and connecting means 30 predisposed to associate the fastening device 1 to a roof rack 100. In particular, the fastening device 1 is characterised with respect to known connecting organs in that it comprises: a fixed element 2, solidly associable to the motor vehicle 101 via the anchoring means 20 and a mobile element 3 connected thereto, associable to the roof rack 100 using the connecting means 30. The mobile element 3 can modify the position thereof relative to the fixed element 2 for configuring the fastening device 1 by adapting it to the morphological and dimensional characteristics of the roof rack 100 and the motor vehicle 101, thus realising the above-described aim of the present invention.

[0014] In the constructionally simplest form, and therefore the preferred form, the possibility of relative movement between the two elements of the fastening device is realised by hooking the mobile element 3 to the fixed element 2 according to a first hinging axis x. The first hinging axis x is preferably a horizontal axis which is transversal with respect to the longitudinal development of the vehicle 101 to which the fastening device 1 is associated; in this way, by advantageously orientating the two opposite device which support the roof rack 100 at a section thereof, it is possible to adapt the structure to the longitudinal position of the attachment points provided on the vehicle 101.

[0015] The fixed element 2 and the mobile element 3 respectively exhibit a first and a second connecting portion 25, 35 which are planar and juxtaposed and associated by hinge means 5 which hinge the mobile element 3 to the fixed element 2 along the first hinge axis x. The hinge means 5 are constituted, in the illustrated embodiment, by a hinge bolt inserted in special through-holes afforded in the connection portions 25, 35; alternative embodiments could involve use of a rivet or a hinge of another type.

[0016] The fastening device 1 advantageously comprises stop means 4 predisposed to limit the angular excursion of the mobile element 3 with respect to the fixed element 2.

[0017] In the illustrated embodiment, the stop means 4 comprise a pin 4a solidly associated to one of the connecting portions 25, 35 and slidable internally of a slot 4b afforded on the other connecting portion 25, 35. In the illustrated example, the slot 4b describes an arc of circumference and is afforded on the first connecting portion 25, while the pin 4a is constituted by the stem of a bolt which crosses a through-hole in the second connecting portion 35. By applying a locking torque to the bolt it is therefore possible to solidly associate the two connecting portions 25, 35, blocking the locking device in a desired configuration.

[0018] A centring hole of a same diameter is afforded in both connecting portions 25, 35. The two centring holes are superposed at a centred configuration of the fastening device 1, i.e. when the longitudinal extension of the mobile element 3 is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the vehicle 101 roof to which the fixed element 2 is associated.

[0019] The above-described connecting means 30 enable the roof rack 100 to be hinged to the mobile element 3 of the device 1 at a second hinge axis y which is substantially perpendicular to the first hinge axis x. This arrangement enables the fastening device 1 to be adapted to motor vehicles 101 having different roof curvatures, i.e. different inclinations of the attachment points provided on the upper surface of the vehicle.

[0020] In particular, the connecting means 30 comprise two arms 31 of the mobile element 3 which exhibit two connecting slots 32 predisposed for fastening the roof rack 100 along the second hinge axis y. The connecting slots 32, as can be seen in the accompanying figures of the drawings, have an elongate shape such that a pin is associable thereto, which pin is arranged substantially horizontally independently of the angular configuration assumed by the fastening device 1. The horizontal pin, idle or solidly associated to the roof rack 100, realises a hinging of the rack 100 with the fastening device 1. By hooking the pin to different sections of the frame crossbar the structure can be adapted to the transversal position of the attachment points predisposed on the vehicle 101.

[0021] In the illustrated embodiment, the mobile element 3 of the fastening device 1 is a fork exhibiting a planar central second connecting portion 35, which is hinged to the fixed element 2; two arms 31 of the fork extend from the second connection portion 35, which two arms 31 are planar and reciprocally parallel and perpendicular to the second connecting portion 35. The fixed element 2, on the other hand, comprises a first connecting portion 25 which is also planar, connected to the mobile element 3. The first connecting portion 25 is shaped as a portion of circular sector. The anchoring means 20 comprise an attaching portion 26 which is planar, contiguous and perpendicular to the first connecting portion 25. The attaching portion 26 exhibits a plurality of anchoring slots 27 predisposed to constrain it, by means of bolts or similar connecting means, to the attachment points exhibited on the vehicle 101.

[0022] The invention also relates to an object-bearing device comprising a roof rack 100 and a plurality of fastening devices 1 of the above-described type, predisposed to couple the roof rack 100 to the roof of a motor vehicle 101. As can be deduced from the above description, the fastening devices 1 are preferably equal in number and more than two, such as to be able to associate to the lateral ends of each of the crossbars of the roof rack 100.

[0023] The characteristics of the invention are visually well documented in the enlarged details of figures 1 and 2 which clearly show the relative inclinations of the constituent elements which enable a mounting of the rack 100 with an adaptation for the curvature of the vehicle roof without creating dangerous hyperstatic stresses.

Claims

1. A fastening device (1) of a roof rack (100) to a motor vehicle (101), comprising anchoring means (20) predisposed for solidly associating the fastening device (1) to a motor vehicle (101) and connecting means (30) predisposed for associating the device to the roof rack (100); characterised in that it comprises a fixed element (2), solidly associable to the motor vehicle (101) via the anchoring means (20) and a mobile element (3) connected thereto, associable to the roof rack (100) via the connecting means (30); the mobile element (3) being able to modify a position thereof in relation to the fixed element (2) in order to configure the fastening device (1) by adapting the fastening device (1) to morphological and dimensional characteristics of the roof rack (100) and the motor vehicle (101).

2. The fastening device (1) of claim 1, characterised in that the mobile element (3) is hinged to the fixed element (2) at a first hinging axis (x).

3. The fastening device (1) of claim 2, characterised in that it comprises means (4) predisposed to limit an angular excursion of the mobile element (3) of the device (1) with respect to the fixed element (2) thereof.

4. The fastening device (1) of claim 3, characterised in that the fixed element (2) and the mobile element (3) respectively exhibit a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion (25, 35) which are planar and juxtaposed and associated by hinging means (5) which hinge the mobile element (3) to the fixed element (2) along the first hinging axis (x).

5. The fastening device (1) of claim 4, characterised in that the means (4) comprise a pin (4a) which is solidly associated to one of the connecting portions (25, 35) and which is slidable internally of a slot (4b) afforded on the other connecting portion.

6. The fastening device (1) of claim 5, characterised in that the hinging means (5) are constituted by a hinge bolt and in that the pin (4a) is constituted by a stem of a bolt.

7. The fastening device (1) of one of claims from 2 to 6, characterised in that the connecting means (30) enable the roof rack (100) to be hinged to the mobile element (3) of the device (1) according to a hinge axis (y) which is substantially perpendicular to the first hinging axis (x).

8. The fastening device (1) of claim 7, characterised in that the connecting means (30) comprise two arms (31) of the mobile element (3) which exhibit two opposite connecting slots (32) predisposed for hinging the roof rack (100) along the second hinging axis (y).

9. The fastening device (1) of claim 8, characterised in that the mobile element (3) is a fork which exhibits a central and planar second connecting portion (35) which is hinged to the fixed element (2), from which second connecting portion (35) two arms (31) project which are planar and parallel to one another and perpendicular to the second connecting portion (35).

10. The fastening device (1) of one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the fixed element (2) comprises a first connecting portion (25) which is planar and connected to the mobile element (3); the anchoring means (20) comprise an attaching portion (26) which is planar and perpendicular to the first connecting portion (25) and which exhibits a plurality of anchoring slots (27).

11. An object-carrying device characterised in that it comprises a roof rack (100) and a plurality of fastening devices (1) as in one of the preceding claims, predisposed to couple the roof rack (100) to a roof of a motor vehicle (101).

Drawing